(Sketch from my notebook)   This Ekphrastic poem written to a wonderful photo of a Western Rosella taken by photographer Matt Laughton and posted on Facebook today.

Waiting to Score

I see you there perched high
silhouetted against the sky.

Your regal head turned back
scanning for predator attack.

Colours bright , you are seen
standing out against the green.

Still you pose, a proud avian
Beauty enticing, soul awaiting,

Loudly crooning loves sweet song
until a suitable mate flies among

grasses tall, a rich banquet laid for
a Western Rosella waiting to score.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2026

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